Address printing plate



Jan. 2, 19 s. K. PFLITSCH ETAL 3,361,061

ADDRESS PRINTINC] PLATE Filed June 18, 1965 United States Patent 3,361,061 ADDRESS PRINTING PLATE Siegfried K. Pflitsch and Heinrich Schulz, Berlin, Germany, assignors to Ad'rema-Werke G.m.b.H., Berlin, Germany Filed June 18, 1965, Ser. No. 464,928

Claims priority, application Germany, July 1, 1964,

A 46,475 2 Claims. (Cl. 101-369) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An address printing plate having guiding margins formed by crimping, one transverse edge of the plate being reinforced by an insert in the interior of the crimp at the location engaged by transport means.

The invention relates to address printing plates adapted for use in regular address printing machines and its objective is to overcome certain serious diificulties encountered with known printing plates.

Modern addressing machines are preferably used for printing tasks in which indicia devices for instance tabs, cams or perforated strips effect the control of the printing process and often also the additional transmittal of orders and information to connected auxiliary machines (adding or accounting machines, perforators, synchronizing devices and the like).

The desire for always increasing the rationalization of the office tasks has led thereto that, for the most versatile application of the addressing machines, the number of the indicia characteristics on the address printing plates and the Working speed have more and more been increased.

The increase of the indicia density and the corresponding decrease of the spaces between the sensing pins leads thereto that the requirements on the precision of the sensing device as Well as simultaneously also on the dimensional accuracy of the plate and of the tabs are considerably increased. Moreover the transport device has to bring the addressing plates much more accurately to the sensing position.

For the transfer of the plates in addressing machines pawls or the like are used, which engage the plate near or at one end of the plates trailing edge and subject the plate to high accelerating and decelerating forces.

Already after a relatively small number of passages of the plates, clearly recognizable deformations of the guiding margins of the plates, whereupon such a large misplacement of the address plate occurs that the tabs are faultily sensed or read.

According to the invention, a strip of steel or other impact and wear resisting material is rigidly and firmly inserted into said bead on that side and flush with that corner of the plate, which is engaged by the transport or transfer means. This strip, due to its material, due to its arrangement and due to its rigid connection with the plate or frame, performs at protecting function so that, even after years of frequent use of the address plate, the correct position of the plate in the working machines is assured.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing insert is shorter than the length of the plate.

The protection of the trailing edge of the plate becomes particularly effective if the insert has an enlarged head and the body of the printing plate has a cut-out receiving this head so that the end surface of the head is flush with the trailing edge of the plate body.

The hereinbefore outlined and further objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent 3,361,061 Patented] Jan. 2, 1968 from the following description of several embodiments which are illustrated in the attached drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an address printing plate;

FIG. 2 is a section of the plate along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, on a larger scale, of the printing plate shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the insert used in the embodiment according to FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views, corresponding to FIGS. 3 and 4, but of a second embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view corresponding to FIGS. 3 and 5, respectively, however of a still further embodiment; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary section along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

The address printing plate P shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 consists, as is customary of a piece of sheet metal, mostly zinc or aluminum, of rectangular shape and crosssection. The longitudinal margins of plate P are crimped over to form guiding margins or beads 1 and 2, which merge by offsets 3 and 4, respectively, into the middle or main portion 5 serving for carrying the printing characters. The side of the plate facing the onlooker in FIG. 1 is the embossed side whereas the opposite side is the reading side. Guiding bead 1 is mostly provided with slots (not shown in the drawing) for the insertion of tabs, the feet of which project into the hollow space provided by the crimping.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the end of guiding bead or margin 2, which meets the trailing edge 6 and is exposed to the engagement by the transport noses of the machine (not shown), has a cut-out 7 so that this margin 2 has a length somewhat shorter than the length of the entire plate P. An insert 8, separately shown in FIG. 4, is placed into the hollow space of guiding margin or bead 2. Insert 8 consists of the strip 9 having its trailing edge widened by a head 10. The cross section of strip 9 corresponds to the cross section of the hollow space in guiding bead 2. Head 10 and the edge of cut-out 7 engage each other thereby preventing any displacement of the insert relatively to plate in the direction T in which the transfer members (not shown) act on the plate through the insert. Besides, as shown in FIG. 3, insert 9 is firmly anchored into the hollow space of bead 2 by indentations or spurs 11 made by a center punch. At least head 10 of insert 8 consists of a material which retains its shape better than the material forming the plate itself. Head 10 is so formed that its outer end surface lies flush with the trailing edge 6 of the plate. Insert 8 protects the edge of the plate from damages through the transport noses engaging the plate during its advance in the region of guiding margin or head 2. As indicated by dotted line 9 in FIG. 1, the length of insert 8 is shorter than the length of the plate itself, and merely needs to be long enough to insure its firm anchorage to the plate and a reliable transfer of the forces exerted onto head 10 by the transport of the machine noses onto the body of the plate itself.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 5 and 6, the insert 12 consists of a folded sheet metal strip which in its form corresponds about to the solid insert 8 and which is likewise secured by center-punch indents 11a in the guiding bead 2a of plate Pa.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 7, a strip 13 is inserted into the bead 2b of plate Pb and has the same length as the plate. At least one, but preferably both end surfaces 14 of insert 13 are flush with the end edges 6b and 15 of plate Pb or may slightly project therebeyond. Dislocation of insert 13 relative to plate Pb is prevented not only by the center-punch indentations 1112 but also by a lip 16 formed on bead 2b and engaging a surface 17 provided by a hole in insert 13.

In all three embodiments the insert protects the vulnerable edge or corner of the plate, which is exposed to wear and deformation due to the engagement by the carry-along members.

The means provided according to the invention assure a protection of the printing character carrier whereby not only an increase of the speed of passage of the character carrier is made possible but also the duration of the life of these carriers is increased.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the illustrated embodiments as long as the printing plate has an insert of highly resistant material designed and arranged so as to have its end surface engaged by the transporting or transfer noses customary in present-days address printing machines and so that these noses cannot damage or wear down the corresponding edge of the printing plate which consists of a less strong and less wearresistant material. Preferably, the insert consists of steel or has at least a steel head or end.

What is claimed is:

1. Address printing plate of sheet material having a hollow bead along one of its longitudinal margins, an insert in said head of a material having a greater strength than that of the plate itself, an enlarged head on that insert and a cut-out at the end of said head receiving said head, said head stress-transmittingly engaging the bead at the end of said cut-out.

2. Address printing plate of relatively soft sheet material having a hollow bead along one of its longitudinal margins, a steel insert secured against longitudinal movement in said bead presenting a head portion flush with the end of said plate, whereby a blow of a transfer means at the end of said hollow bead will not cause deformation of said beads.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,245,099 10/1917 Gross et al. 287l09 X 2,055,009 9/1936 Gollwitzer 101369 X FOREIGN PATENTS 664,149 10/1935 Germany.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

H. DINITZ, Assistant Examiner. 

